CALGARY, Alta. – The world’s best under-20 hockey players will have a chance to once again compete for gold on Canadian ice at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, just four months after the 2022 edition of the tournament is held in Edmonton, Alta.

Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), who approved hosting rights to Canada, has awarded the prestigious international competition to the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, with the cities of Halifax and Moncton co-hosting the event from Dec. 26, 2022 to Jan. 5, 2023.

“Hosting the World Juniors twice in less than six months is a unique opportunity for our organization and Canadian hockey fans, and with the IIHF’s need to find a host, we were in the position to entertain bids from passionate hockey communities across the country,” said Hockey Canada president and chief operating officer, Scott Smith. “We appreciate the hard work and efforts put forth by the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and we strongly believe in the plans they have in place to host a successful event in Halifax and Moncton. We know the work of the host committees and volunteers will leave a lasting impression on each community, the competing teams and the fans who will travel to experience this best-on-best competition.”

“We are pleased to be able to bring the 2023 World Juniors to Halifax and Moncton,” said IIHF president Luc Tardif. “These are two great cities with top-quality venues and passionate hockey fans who support junior hockey. I commend Hockey Canada for finding two great hosts in such a short amount of time, and am looking forward to the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.”

Hockey Canada has hosted the IIHF World Junior Championship 15 times since its official inception in 1977, with Atlantic Canada last serving as host in 2003 in Halifax and Sydney, N.S.

“Nova Scotia is thrilled to be selected to host the 2023 World Juniors, which will be the best tournament to date,” said Tim Houston, premier of Nova Scotia. “We are ready to roll out the welcome mat for the players, their families and visiting fans; I’ll be in the arena with thousands of Nova Scotians, cheering at each and every game.”

“We are excited to have partnered with Nova Scotia to win the bid to serve as hosts,” said New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs. “This world-class event will showcase our province and our region, and we will provide an unforgettable experience for both New Brunswickers and those visiting. We look forward to hosting the players and their families.”

Fans eager to purchase tickets for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax and Moncton can enter the 2023 World Juniors Priority Draw  for their chance to purchase tickets when they become available. Further ticket information will be announced at a later date.

Before tickets go on sale for the 2023 event, fans can take advantage of the unique opportunity to attend the 2022 World Juniors in Edmonton this August. Ticket packages will be available for purchase starting May 10 at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets. Fans can also sign up to become Hockey Insiders and receive ticket information, Team Canada news and access to exclusive pre-sales, contests and promotions.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, become a Hockey Canada Insider, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced that two marquee international hockey events will be coming to Alberta this summer: the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship and 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, presented by RAM.

“While we were disappointed to have not been able to complete the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship as intended in December, our focus quickly shifted to hosting the event again when it was safe to do so,” said Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer of Hockey Canada. “Now, fans will be able to cheer on Team Canada at the World Juniors in Edmonton and at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer.

“Under the most unique of circumstances, this summer will be unforgettable for Canadian hockey fans, and we cannot wait to drop the puck at both events.”

After being cancelled in December, the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship will return to Rogers Place in Edmonton from Aug. 9-20, in partnership with Oilers Entertainment Group. The results from games played in December will not be carried over to this summer’s World Juniors, and players born in 2002 or later will remain eligible to represent their respective countries.

Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States will form Group A, with Canada, Czechia, Finland, Latvia and Slovakia competing in Group B.

Tournament packages will be available to the general public on May 10 at HockeyCanada.ca, while Hockey Canada Insiders and fans who purchased tickets for the 2021 or 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship will have access to a pre-sale window beginning April 27.

Hosted in partnership with the Red Deer Rebels, the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, presented by RAM, will run from July 31-Aug. 6 at the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer, Alta., marking the first time the best-on-best tournament has been hosted in Canada by one community.

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will play its preliminary-round games in Group A against Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland, while Czechia, Finland, Germany and the United States face each other in Group B.

Since its inception in 1991, the event has featured premier under-18 players from some of the world’s greatest hockey nations and has seen Canada win a tournament-record 22 gold medals.

Fans will be able to buy tournament packages beginning April 22 at HockeyCanada.ca.

“We are thrilled to bring these two marquee hockey events to fans in Canada this summer and provide safe environments for the competing teams to chase gold in Alberta,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties for Hockey Canada. “The economic impact of these tournaments will be in the millions of dollars for Edmonton, Red Deer and the Province of Alberta, and we are excited to work with both host communities to establish legacy initiatives that will impact the grassroots game in Alberta for years to come.”

Full tournament and broadcast schedules will be shared at a later date.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, become a Hockey Canada Insider, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Working a full-time job while officiating can be a tricky balancing act. But what if you also add in being a full-time master’s student into the equation?

Edmonton, Alta., native Kyle Kowalski is a commercial banker by day and is in the middle of completing a master of business administration degree online on top of officiating with the Western Hockey League (WHL). How does he do it?

“I got to be honest, I don’t know how I balance it,” he says with a chuckle.

Although Kowalski didn’t get his start in officiating until he was about 24 years old, he had knowledge about the responsibilities of the position from a family connection.

“My father was an official [with] Hockey Alberta,” he says. “I would follow him along to the hockey games and I would go watch the game that he’d be reffing. But I was always of the mindset of playing. I never ever envisioned this occurring.”

After he was finished playing junior hockey in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and Alberta Junior Hockey League, Kowalski took an opportunity to start his officiating journey while attending Grant MacEwan University so he could stay connected to the sport he loves.

“I wanted to stay involved in the game and it was just a way for me to get back into hockey,” he says. “It’s the greatest game on earth. Let’s be honest, it’s the best… You give back and it’d give you so much more than what you could ever expect.”

In his early days in black and white, he got a lot of advice from a veteran in officiating: his father.

“He would come watch and he would say, ‘Try this, do this. Maybe give this a try. Hey, this happened, maybe try this,’” the 35-year-old says. “He was a big influence early on to get me going.”

Kowalski initially started officiating out of the south-east zone in Edmonton, then worked his way into the WHL from there. Although he already was balancing a full-time job with officiating, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, he saw it as an opportunity to continue to develop personally and professionally by returning to school.

“Continuous improvement on the ice as an official is extremely important, however continuous improvement off the ice is extremely important as well,” he says. “Pursing that MBA has equipped me with a range of tools that assist me in becoming a better employee… but it also assists me in being a better person, both on the ice and off the ice.”

The support to pursue further education from both his employer, RBC, and the WHL have also aided in the process of balancing his commitments.

“It’s easy to kind of manage all three when you have that support,” he says.

So, what does managing a full-time job, full-time schooling and an officiating career look like? A typical weekend for Kowalski will start by working a full day for his job. Following the end of his work day, he will travel to the rink to officiate a game and squeeze some school work in between.

If he has to fly to a game on the weekend, his schoolwork comes with him.

“If I’m sitting in the airport, I’m doing schoolwork. If I’m sitting at the hotel, I’ll put out the schoolwork and then I’ll get ready, take some time before I got to go to my game.”

Kowalski will also bring his work phone with him on travel weekends to assist clients while he is on the road. Overall, he says prioritizing and time management are the keys to his success, as well as ensuring you’re having fun and enjoying yourself.

“As crazy as it sounds, I love how hectic this is,” he says. “I mean, sometimes I get worn out, but I love the challenge and that’s what I love about officiating is the challenge. It’s the camaraderie.”

Although there are times where people don’t understand how Kowalski manages his balancing act, he believes he wouldn’t be as successful if he only pursed one of his three responsibilities.

“It drives me when you have to time manage and prioritize,” he says. “It really dials you in and it makes you focus, like, ‘hey, I got to get this done today. I’m not going to procrastinate.’”

With 11 years of officiating under his belt, his experience helped him to earn his spot at the IIHF World Junior Championship for the second year in a row. Although the 2022 tournament was cut short due to COVID-19, Kowalski relished the opportunity to officiate back-to-back events hosted in his hometown.

“It’s an opportunity that I’m extremely grateful for and I’m very privileged,” he says. “I’m very lucky to be in this position.”

Kowalski may have never pictured his hockey journey turning from player to official, but he continues to work hard every day both on and off the ice.

“I never made it this far in my dreams. It’s incredible. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, no question about it.”

EDMONTON & RED DEER, Alta. – The following is a joint statement on behalf Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) from Tom Renney, chief executive officer, Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer, and Luc Tardif, president of the IIHF, in response to the cancellation of the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“Hockey Canada has worked tirelessly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure it would be equipped to host world-class, international events in a safe and healthy environment. Despite our best efforts, and continually adapting and strengthening protocols, we have unfortunately fallen short of our goal of completing the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship and handing out medals on Jan. 5 due to the challenges of the current COVID-19 landscape. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have always made the health and safety of event participants and the community at large a priority, and given the news that we have encountered positive cases within the World Juniors environment, we understand and support the decision to cancel the remainder of the event. Although we know this is the right decision, we sympathize with all participants who have earned the opportunity to represent their countries on the world stage and that will not be able to realize that dream in its entirety.”

-      Tom Renney and Scott Smith

“Together with the teams, we came into this event with full confidence in the COVID-19 protocols put in place by the IIHF, the local organizing committee, Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services and the Public Health Agency of Canada. The ongoing spread of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant forced us to readjust our protocols almost immediately upon arrival to stay ahead of any potential spread. This included daily testing and the team quarantine requirement when positive cases were confirmed. We owed it to the participating teams to do our best to create the conditions necessary for this event to work. Unfortunately, this was not enough. We now have to take some time and focus on getting all players and team staff back home safely.”

-      Luc Tardif

The following are statements on behalf of Hockey Canada from Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties, and Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of hockey operations.

“The COVID-19 landscape is ever-changing, and since we started planning for the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, we were confident in the health and safety protocols that were put in place. In working with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services and the IIHF, we were confident in our hosting plan, and continued to have ongoing discussions with all stakeholders to ensure our protocols were aligned with the Government of Alberta. Shortly after teams arrived in Canada, health and safety protocols were strengthened and daily testing was implemented to ensure cases of COVID-19 were detected early and to minimize spread to participants and the community. We are disappointed for the participants, volunteers and fans, but this is the right decision given the current situation.”

-      Dean McIntosh

“Today’s news is devastating for the players, coaches and support staff with Canada’s National Junior Team. From the time our group arrived at selection camp, we have been cautious in our approach to ensure we could arrive in Edmonton healthy and eligible to participate in the tournament, but we recognize how difficult it is to maintain a secure environment given the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team has worked hard and made sacrifices to earn the opportunity to represent Canada at the World Juniors, and to potentially play for a gold medal on home ice in front of our fans. We share our disappointment with our fans, the other nine competing teams, and the event staff and volunteers. On behalf of our entire team, we wish to extend our appreciation to the IIHF and the local organizing committee for their time and effort in planning for the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.”

-      Scott Salmond

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

It’s difficult to put a price on experience, but for a pair of players on Canada’s National Junior Team, they hope to prove it’s worth its weight in gold.

Cole Perfetti and Owen Power entered the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship with a unique and inspiring experience, one which could act as a beacon for success in procuring a second gold medal in less than a calendar year.

Last spring, the two teenagers helped Canada capture the 2021 IIHF World Championship in what was a memorable and thrilling hockey encounter, not just for how it ended in gold for Canada, but how the journey to victory transpired.

“It could have been easy to hit the panic button,” says Power, a six-foot-six defenceman with the University of Michigan. “But we trusted the process the whole time, stayed patient and had the confidence as a team that we were playing good hockey.”

As a result of three straight losses to start the tournament, the Canadians were reeling. This included setbacks to host Latvia, Germany and an especially humbling 5-1 defeat to the United States. But what followed was an unprecedented rally to a memorable world title.

The preliminary round culminated with Team Canada nearly running the table, posting three wins and a shootout loss to Finland in their final four games to earn a berth in the playoff round.

The turnaround provided a path to an epic finish that included a quarterfinal overtime win over Russia and redemption victories against the Americans in the semifinal and Finland in overtime in the gold medal game.

It was Canada’s 27th gold medal; it became the first country in worlds history to win the title with four losses.

“There are a lot of lessons from that tournament,” says Perfetti, a forward with the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose. “Everyone doubted us and considered us down and out. But the resilience we had; we believed we still had a chance and took advantage of that.”

For Perfetti and Power, the adventure through an adverse start in the world championship to the jubilant end-result are equally rewarding. Both featured practical guidance in perseverance and achieving success – especially the latter.

“I think there’s a lot to take away from a winning experience,” says Perfetti, a 2020 first-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets. “The biggest thing is what it’s like to win. That will never get old. To be a world champion and win gold for my country was the best feeling of my life.”

As one of only three returning players for Team Canada at the World Juniors, the 19-year-old (he turns 20 on New Year’s Day) feels the experience he and Power gained at the IIHF World Championship can be transferred to a second under-20 go-round.

“Winning a gold medal comes with lots of lessons that will be applicable here,” says Perfetti.

This is especially true since Canada’s games are being played in Edmonton for the second year in a row.

“There’s a comfort level from having that experience and playing in the exact same set-up from last year,” says Perfetti, who scored twice and posted six points in seven games a year ago.

For Power, also 19, earning a roster spot on Canada’s National Junior Team is a “dream come true” and stands as the biggest reason why the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft opted to attend college last fall as opposed to joining the Buffalo Sabres.

“It’s been super busy and a lot of fun,” says the Mississauga, Ont., native. “And it’s been great for my development to play on these different teams and in these tournaments.”

After all, the IIHF World Championship encounter was an extremely positive environment – for many reasons – and one the duo know they can bring to Team Canada at the World Juniors as the nation chases it’s second gold medal in three tournaments and possibly a third in the last five years.

And that sentiment might be even more tangible for Perfetti, who hopes to use his previous men’s worlds and World Juniors participation to his and Canada’s advantage.

As an alternate captain on Team Canada this year, the product of Whitby, Ont., is inspired by what he witnessed last year from a former teammate and leader in Dylan Cozens.

Cozens was not only a second-year player on last year’s Canadian entry, but served as a co-captain. Affectionately called “The Workhorse from Whitehorse” around hockey circles, the now Buffalo Sabres’ rookie was virtually unstoppable last year.

He scored eight goals and 16 points in seven games and led Canada to the gold medal game. He finished second in tournament scoring and was selected by the attending media as one of three all-star forwards.

It was a performance that left an impression and legacy for Perfetti to try and emulate for Canada this time around.

“He was key piece to our success,” says Perfetti. “Dylan took over and drove our team. I’m hoping to play the same role.”

However, with an international gold medal already in his possession, Perfetti understands it takes more than one player to deliver a championship.

That is also part of the lesson from the world title in Latvia he hopes can be relatable to Canada’s current quest for gold in Edmonton.

“A championship is not won from one guy’s success,” he says. “It takes a team to be one. I want a gold medal and I’ll help this team anyway I can.

“Being one of the returning guys I know it’s going to take all of us. And whatever role I play I want to make the biggest impact for my team.”

If winning is a positively addictive emotional, especially at the international level, then Canada should be well equipped for Perfetti and Power to share that experience both on and off the ice at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship. And then the weight of gold could be once again in Canada’s hands.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. GERMANY (DEC. 29)

TV: TSN | Radio: TSN Radio | Stream: TSN Direct

Less than 24 hours after its win over Austria, Canada’s National Junior Team is right back to action Wednesday against Germany, looking to keep pace with Finland atop Group A at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

LAST GAME

Another game, another historic hat trick for Canada. Connor Bedard did the honours against Austria, counting four goals in an 11-2 win. The Canadians spread around the scoring, getting goals from seven different players and points from 16 (including all 12 forwards). In addition to Bedard’s performance, Canada got two goals and an assist from Mason McTavish, and a goal and two helpers from Cole Perfetti as it outshot the Austrians 64-22.

The Germans earned an emotional 2-1 overtime win over Czechia on Monday night, getting both goals from Alexander Blank and 39 saves from Florian Bugl to record its first victory of the tournament.

LAST MEETING

Canada and Germany faced off on Boxing Day 2020 in Edmonton, with the Canadians taking advantage of a COVID-ravaged German side (only nine forwards and five defencemen were available) in a 16-2 victory.

Dylan Cozens led the way with a hat trick and three assists, Dawson Mercer had two goals and two helpers, and Cole Perfetti, Connor McMichael, Peyton Krebs, Alex Newhook and Philip Tomasino added three points apiece for the Canadians, who outshot the Germans 44-15.

WHAT TO WATCH

Individually, it has to be Bedard, right? The 16-year-old rewrote the record books against Austria, becoming the youngest player to score three goals (surpassing Wayne Gretzky) and four goals (surpassing Mario Lemieux) in a World Juniors game. That’s pretty good company. But as a team, Bedard is just one piece of a balanced attack; through two games, only four Canadians have yet to record a point, and only one of those, defenceman Carson Lambos, has appeared in both contests.

Blank has been the offensive star for the Germans, scoring both goals against the Czechs and setting up Luca Munzenberger for the lone goal in a 3-1 tournament-opening loss to Finland. Bugl was lights-out against Czechia and should help keep the Germans close. And then there’s Jakub Borzecki; the forward has become a fan favourite in Edmonton after missing the entire 2021 World Juniors while quarantined in his hotel room.

GOING BACK-TO-BACK

Since the IIHF World Junior Championship went to its current format in 1996 (two groups instead of a single round-robin), Canada has played on consecutive days 28 times, going 22-4-2 (W-L-T) in the second half of the back-to-back and winning 19 in a row.

Three of those back-ends have been against Germany, most recently in 2015 in Montreal; Connor McDavid scored a goal and set up two others, and Eric Comrie stopped all 17 shots he faced in a 4-0 Canadian win.

A LOOK BACK

The Canadians have dominated the head-to-head history between the teams, winning all 15 games since the reunification of Germany, 11 of them by at least three goals. Including games against West Germany (1977-1989), Canada has earned 26 wins in 27 games; the lone blemish was a 7-6 loss in the consolation round in 1981, a defeat that helped indirectly lead to the creation of the Program of Excellence the following year.

All-time record: Canada leads 15-0-0
Canada goals: 91
Germany goals: 21

GAME STATISTICS | LIVE BLOG

EDMONTON, Alta. – Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) became the youngest Canadian player to score a hat trick at the IIHF World Junior Championship on Tuesday night, recording four goals during an 11-2 victory over Austria.

• Bedard is just the sixth player in Team Canada history to score four goals in a game, joining Mario Lemieux (Jan. 4, 1983 vs. NOR), Simon Gagné (Jan. 2, 1999 vs. KAZ), Brayden Schenn (Dec. 29, 2010 vs. NOR), Taylor Raddysh (Dec. 29, 2016 vs. LAT) and Maxime Comtois (Dec. 26, 2018 vs. DEN).

• At 16 years, five months and 12 days, Bedard surpassed Wayne Gretzky (16 years, 10 months, 28 days on Dec. 25, 1977 vs. TCH) as the youngest to record a hat trick.

• Mason McTavish (Carp, Ont./Peterborough, OHL) had two goals and one assist.

• Cole Perfetti (Whitby, Ont./Manitoba, AHL) also had three points – one goal and two helpers.

• Kent Johnson (Port Moody, B.C./University of Michigan, Big Ten) opened the scoring for Canada with a power-play goal at 5:08 of the first period. Just under a minute later, Lukas Cormier (Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, N.B./Charlottetown, QMJHL) made it 2-0.

• Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) made it 3-0 before Bedard would add power-play and even-strength goals to give Canada a 5-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

• Mavrik Bourque (Plessisville, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL) also scored for Canada.

• Brett Brochu (Belle River, Ont./London, OHL) made 20 saves on 22 shots in his first start.

• Canada outshot Austria 64-22.

Next Game:
Canada vs. Germany – Wednesday, December 29 (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)

Quotes :
“Most of those are in front of the net and I'm just getting a stick on it or something. I was pretty fortunate. Everyone makes the game easy here when you're playing with these guys. It was just a good game for our team and I was lucky to get those goals.”
- Bedard on his four-goal game

“It's pretty cool to hear your name with that guy. Whenever you get that honour, it's pretty surreal and crazy. Like I said, it's the second game of the tournament. I'm trying not to get too high on myself. It's definitely pretty cool to hear that. It's only one game. I don't think I'll be getting 2,800 points in the NHL.”
- Bedard on being the first 16-year-old to record a World Juniors hat trick since Wayne Gretzky

“The way we played was just the way we wanted to. We always get ready for upcoming games and we had a pretty good game overall. We'll keep looking after the little details to keep improving every game.”
- Elliot Desnoyers (Saint-Hyacinthe, Que./Halifax, QMJHL) on Canada's game and approach moving forward

“Full marks to Connor. It's like our team, it's a work in progress. We ask our guys to improve. Connor doesn't need my help when the puck is on his stick and he's in the offensive zone. He's got exceptional status for a reason. Connor, like some of the other offensive guys on our team, [have to] mature their game away from the puck so they can get out of their own end through the neutral zone and then their strength can take over.”
- Head coach Dave Cameron (Kincora, P.E.I./Ottawa, OHL) on Bedard

“The big advantage is your experience and you know that no matter what you say and preach, when you're playing a game where you have the puck so much, there's going to be some lazy tendencies [that] slip into your team's game. That's human nature. The game went pretty much how I thought it would. The experience allows you to be a little mellow through that whole process. These guys are smart, too. As much as the coaches know what we're up against, so do the players. It's a way harder challenge tomorrow against a team that is stronger away from the puck. The players are already talking about that in the room after and that's a sign of good leadership.”
- Cameron on the challenges playing a one-sided game

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If there is one thing Brett Brochu has learned during his hockey journey, it’s to be more patient and not stress out about the unknowns.

That’s easy enough to say, but it becomes increasingly difficult when you are faced with adversity, like Brochu did after the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft.

The 19-year-old goaltender was selected by the London Knights in sixth round of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, 114th overall. When he went to look for a team to play with the following season, he had difficulties finding one.

“I tried out for about five or six different Junior B teams and got cut from all of them,” he says. “I ended up finding my way on to a Junior C team in Dresden.”

Despite the hardship, Brochu found a silver lining in the situation. He says his time in the Provincial Junior Hockey League benefited his development because he played almost every single game with the Dresden Jr. Kings.

“I just tried telling myself that it would all work out if I just kept doing what I’m doing, working hard and sticking to the process,” he says. “But obviously, it was pretty tough getting cut from that many teams, knowing that I wanted to play for the Knights the next year.”

Daren Machesney, the Knights’ goaltending coach, first saw Brochu play while he was on the road scouting.

“We liked him, but obviously the thing was the size issue,” he says. “When we were watching Brett, he was probably five-foot-seven and that’s pretty small for goalies. We wanted to see if there was a chance for him to grow.”

The more times Machesney saw Brochu play, however, the more he was captivated by his skill. The goaltender also hit a bit of a growth spurt to bring his height to five-foot-11.

“We kept watching him and [were] more and more impressed every time we watched him,” he says. “We would get other people’s names thrown at us and Brett would play against those other guys, and he would stick out. We just kept putting his name to the top of our list… I couldn’t say no.”

With his awareness of Brochu’s talent, Machesney continued to advocate for the future Knights netminder.

“I think a lot of teams were kicking themselves for not trusting what we’re saying,” he says. “It just didn’t matter where he was playing, he just seizes every opportunity and he’s done it for every team.

“I remember talking to his Junior C team and they were like, ‘This is way better than advertised.’ And they just kept saying to us, ‘You guys are getting a heck of goalie.’”

With a contract officially signed with London at the start of the 2019-20 season, Brochu achieved his goal of playing in London. All he did in the pandemic-shortened season was lead all OHL goaltenders in goals-against average (2.40) and earn a place on the OHL First All-Rookie Team.

He was looking forward to building on that success with the Knights in 2020-21, but COVID-19 prevented that from happening. Amid the uncertainty and eventual cancellation of the OHL season, Brochu was back on the hunt to find a place to play.

“I got a good chance at coming [to National Junior Team selection camp in November 2020], so that kind of put me on the map for some [American Hockey League] teams for that season,” he says. “It worked out in my favour where I got to develop in Wilkes-Barre for the full year. But it was definitely tough not playing a lot of hockey games where I didn’t really know what was going to happen.”

Brochu ended up temporarily joining the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre Penguins for the season. Although he had a team to practice and train with again, he was limited to only one start during the season.

In the face of adversity, it can be very easy to feel down on yourself. But Brochu still looks back at the experience with some positivity.

“If you look back at it now, it really did help my game and I think it helped me get a lot better,” he says. “Everything does pan out in the end. I really do believe that.”

The Belle River, Ont., native has had an excellent start to the 2021-22 season. He is the OHL leader in save percentage (.921) and wins (16) while also sporting a 2.48 goals-against average.

His path may not look the same as his teammates on Canada’s National Junior Team, but he still shares the honour of wearing the Maple Leaf on his chest at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“I never really would have thought that I would be sitting here, but I definitely dreamt of it,” he says. “I wasn’t going to get down if I wasn’t on this team, just knowing how it’s panned out for me so far. But this is a dream come true.”

Machesney is just as excited for his netminder. Although he is only about three years into his coaching career, he says he will never forget this moment.

“I mean, there’s been some pretty cool moments in my life. Obviously, my kids being born and all those things. But for hockey and coaching, [Brochu joining Canada’s National Junior Team] would be right up there,” he says. “He’s been a pleasure to coach and as good of a goaltender as he is, he’s just as good of a person. Those are the guys you really cheer for. If he gets an opportunity, I think the Canadian fans will be quite impressed and he’ll be one of the fan favourites.”

As the tournament gets underway, there’s only one goal for Brochu at the World Juniors: to win gold. Beyond that, he has his eyes focused on his next goal: playing in the National Hockey League.

“[It has] never crossed my mind that I don’t think it’s not possible for me,” he says. “I definitely keep thinking about that every day. That’s my motivation.

“What I want to do for the rest of my life is play professional hockey.”

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. AUSTRIA (DEC. 28)

TV: TSN | Radio: TSN Radio | Stream: TSN Direct

Looking to build off its come-from-behind tournament-opening win over the Czechs on Boxing Day, Canada’s National Junior Team is back on the ice Tuesday at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship for a rare meeting with Austria.

LAST GAME

The Canadians found themselves in an early two-goal hole against Czechia, down 3-1 less than 13 minutes in. But it was even before the first period ended and the power play took over from there, scoring three times in the final 40 minutes of a 6-3 win. Owen Power paced the offence, becoming the first Canadian defenceman to record a hat trick at the World Juniors, Mason McTavish had a goal and an assist and Cole Perfetti added three helpers.

The Austrians got 41 saves from Sebastian Wraneschitz and a power-play goal from Martin Urbanek, but dropped a 7-1 decision to Finland in its opener on Monday afternoon. Austria managed just nine shots on goal in the loss.

LAST MEETING

Canada and Austria have met just once at the World Juniors, way back on Dec. 30, 1980. The Canadians led 1-0 after one period and 5-0 after two before adding a six-spot in the final 20 minutes of an 11-1 win.

The late Dale Hawerchuk led the way with two goals and an assist and Fred Boimistruck added two goals of his own for Team Canada, which was represented by the Memorial Cup champion Cornwall Royals in the final year before the Program of Excellence.

WHAT TO WATCH

How about Power? The defenceman came into the tournament with plenty of hype as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, and the Buffalo Sabres prospect delivered. His goal just 23 seconds after the Czechs made it 3-1 in the first period started to shift the momentum, and he struck on back-to-back 5-on-3 advantages in the second, blasting home a one-timer to give Canada the lead for good before cleaning up a rebound 1:25 after that, setting a Canadian World Juniors record for fastest two power-play goals by one player. What can he do for an encore?

It’s unclear if he’ll get the start in the second half of the back-to-back, but Wraneschitz has been absolutely terrific for the Austrians over the last two World Juniors. A year ago, he turned in performances of 58, 61 and 54 saves as Austria went winless, and he was very good against the Finns to open his 2022 account. And keep an eye on captain Marco Kasper, who debuted as a 16-year-old last year and returns to Edmonton wearing the ‘C’.

YOUTH BEING SERVED

The International Ice Hockey Federation announced Sunday that to “ensure the intregrity of the sporting competition” in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic that no teams will be relegated for the second year in a row.

That bodes well for the Austrians, who have the second-youngest roster in Alberta (only Slovakia is younger). Of their 22 skaters (forwards and defence), only six are ineligible to return next year in Novosibirsk, and only one defenceman. The Austrians have six 2004-born players in their lineup – the other nine teams combined have 14.

A LOOK BACK

Not much more to say than what was talked about above; just one meeting at the 1981 tournament, an 11-1 Canadian win.

All-time record: Canada leads 1-0
Canada goals: 11
Austria goals: 1

GAME STATISTICS | LIVE BLOG

EDMONTON, Alta. – Owen Power (Mississauga, Ont./University of Michigan, Big Ten) became the first defenceman in Team Canada history to record a hat trick in an IIHF World Junior Championship game as Canada’s National Junior Team defeated Czechia 6-3 on Sunday in its tournament opener.

• Power scored once in the first period and added a pair of goals – both on 5-on-3 power plays, in the second.

• Mason McTavish (Carp, Ont./Peterborough, OHL) opened the scoring with an excellent individual effort just four minutes in.

• Czechia held a 3-1 advantage before Power cut into the lead in the first, and Donovan Sebrango (Kingston, Ont./Grand Rapids, AHL) scored in the final minute of the first period to even things up after 20 minutes.

• Olen Zellweger (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta./Everett, WHL) scored Canada’s final goal on another power play in the third period.

• Five of Canada’s six goals were scored by defencemen.

• Cole Perfetti (Whitby, Ont./Manitoba, AHL) had three assists.

• Dylan Garand (Victoria, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) made 14 saves for the win in the Canadian goal.

• Canada outshot Czechia 37-17.

Next Game:
Canada vs. Austria – Tuesday, December 28 (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)

Quotes:
“It’s incredible to have fans in the stands. They’re wearing the Team Canada jerseys and cheering us on. We’re really happy to have our fans in the building.”
- Mavrik Bourque (Plessisville, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL) on playing in front of fans in Edmonton

“The guys did a good job of getting me good pucks and getting me good spots to shoot. Pucks just kind of found me and luckily they went in. I was pretty surprised [to be the first Canadian defenceman with a hat trick]. There have been a ton of really good players play in these tournaments. I had no idea that no one had had a hat trick. It's pretty special. It's the first trick I have had (In a long time). Doing it at this stage and wearing the Team Canada jersey is pretty special.
- Power on his hat trick and what went right for him

“That time out was huge that we took [after the 3-1 goal]. It settled us down and we did a better job of keeping guys in front of us. After that time out, we settled in and played really good hockey.”
- Power on how Canada bounced back after a slow start

“One of the things we discussed all week prior to the game as a coaching staff was we didn’t know what to expect in the first 10 minutes. We knew it was going to be a bit of an adventure. That was junior hockey at its finest.”

“[We told the team to] just settle down and relax, make plays. One of things we preach is to manage the pucks. Czechs did a good job, they were willing to take a chance to get a chance. It was just about settling in and let's play responsible hockey. It's just about calm. Just play hockey, protect the puck, make good decisions with the puck, don't try to play the whole tournament in the first 10 minutes of the first game.”
- Head coach Dave Cameron (Kincora, P.E.I./Ottawa, OHL) on Canada falling behind 3-1 and coming back and, also, on him calling a time out in the first period to settle down the team

“It's always great to have adversity when you win the hockey game. This is my fourth World Juniors and the thing I've learned is to expect the unexpected. You put in a style of play for your team but it never really goes as planned. In junior hockey, don't be shocked at anything. Adversity was good because we won the game and hopefully we can learn and grow from that.”
- Cameron on facing adversity early on

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.